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Agenda Issues of the Summit

The G8 agenda will focus on four issues at the Kananaskis Summit.

• African Development
• Global Economic Growth
• Terrorism
• Progress Review of 2001 Genoa Summit

African Development

The Kananaskis Summit has an African-centric agenda. Prime Minister Jean Chretien, as Summit Host, has pledged to make African development a central discussion.

At the 2001 G8 Summit in Genoa, African leaders presented the G8 with the New African Initiative (NAI). The NAI included a review of Africa's current economic and humanitarian plight and a detailed plan to meet these challenges. At the center of the NAI is the principle that Africa must have ownership and responsibility for its own development, with assistance by the wealthy countries of the G8. African leaders, in partnership with G8 representatives, have since revised the NAI and renamed it the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

With the NEPAD, the G8 is on track to adopt the African Action Plan in Kananaskis. This Action Plan would involve:

• A commitment by African leaders to good governance, the rule of law, and the mobilization of domestic savings for economic development.
• A commitment by G8 leaders to increased foreign aid, debt-relief, and private investment and trade.

Global Economic Growth

The G8's primary objective is global economic growth. Particular issues that may be discussed at the Kananskis Summit include:

• Managing the “new security economy” which is the result of a wave of spending on security since September 11th.
• Sustaining the recent economic recovery of G7 nations following the 2001 global downturn.
• Encouraging the fragile economies of Japan and Argentina.
• Strengthening the G8 commitment to make globalization work for developing nations.

Terrorism

The Kananaskis Summit is the first G8 Summit since the events of September 11th. Consequently, the review and implementation of anti-terrorism policies will be a focal point of the G8 agenda. This includes:

• Reviewing and strengthening the Action Plan to combat Terrorist Financing (which provides for the freezing of terrorist assets).
• Addressing legal aspects of the fight against terrorism.
• Reviewing (military?) operations in Afghanistan and the surrounding region.
• Addressing longer-term issues such as terrorism in Palestine, the escalating violence in the Middle East, and the activities of Iraq, North Korea, and Iran.
• Canada and the United States will announce a 30-point program to enhance North America's physical and economic security.

Progress Review of 2001 Genoa Summit

In addition, G8 leaders will review progress since their last meeting in Genoa. In particular, four areas will be reviewed:

• Universal Primary Education

  • In Genoa, the G8 agreed to establish a task force to pursue the goals of the Dakar Framework for Action, which includes universal primary education by 2015. This task force will report to the leaders at the Kananaskis Summit.
     

• HIV/AIDS and Other Infectious Diseases

  • In Genoa, the G8 (with the United Nations) announced the creation of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Leaders will review this Fund's progress.
     

• Digital Divide

  • In 2001, the G8 accepted the Genoa Plan of Action to aid in the spreading of knowledge and technology in developing and developed countries. At Kananaskis, Canada has been asked to report on the implementation of the Genoa Plan of Action.
     

• Third World Debt Reduction

  • At the Kananaskis Summit, the G8 will review progress made to date under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The HIPC provides debt relief to some of the world’s poorest countries.

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